Armor for pneumatic tires.



W. G. CHILON L l. H. HOBGOD. ARMOR FR PNEUMA'HC IRE'S.V .APPLICATION man APILH. 19H.

Patented 0st. 16, 1917.

f- (2 .IH n@ l 24%" [4g-rf l E 13 g y A W. G. CHILTON SL i. H. HOBGOD. ARMOR FOR PNEUMATIC TIRES. APPLICATION f'eLEo 'xm-1.11.1911.

9mm@ ont. 16,1917.

c,W- G. CHlL-VON J. H. Hoqoon mm1/will UNTTED sTATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

'WILLIAM G. CHILTON AND JOHN H. HOBGOUD., 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS.

ARMOR FOB. PNEUMATIC TIRES.

Patented Oct. 16, 1917.

i Application iled April 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,817.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that we, WiLLIAM G. CHIL- TON and JOHN H. HOBGOOD, citizens of the United States, residin at Houston, in the county of Harris and tate of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Imp-rovements'in Armors for Pneumatic Tires, of'

said lugs to a flexible, metallic `armor embodied iii the casing structure.

It is also another important object of the invention to provide a renewable ground enga 'ng tip or cap for the anti-skidding lugs.

he invention has for a still further object to provide a flexible armor of improved construction arranged between the layers of the tire casing which is light in weight, as well as highl effective for the intended purpose and wi l readily flex or give upon the application of external pressure to the casin It Ts also a` general object of our invention to provide an armor device as above characterized, which consists of `relatively few parts which may be readily embodied in the ordinary pneumatic tire casing without v atly increasing the manufacturing cost t ereof.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arran ement of parts to be hereinafter more fu y described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in, which,

A e 1 is a plan view of the flexible armor before 'it is embodied in the easing structure' "Fig 2 is an enlarged .transverse section thro hwthe casing rovidedwith our 1mprov* armor-'ing an anti-skid Fig. 3 is a section taken on the i e of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of he metal shell or casing of the anti-skidding Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one Of the lugs and the detachable cap Or tip therefor; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the flexible armor.

Referring in detail to `the drawings, 5 designates the body of the tire casing which incloses the pneumatic tube designated 6. It will be understood, of course, that the edges of the body walls of the casing are suitably formed to be detachably secured upon the rim of the wheel. The tread portion of the tire casing consists of two 4or more heavy layers of leather or other fibrous 4material 7, the inner tread also being secured upon the body wall of the tire casing in any preferred manner.

Between th two tread layers of the tire casing which, it will be understood, are continuous circumferentially of the casing, a flexible metal armor is arranged.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the armor consists of a plurality of thin, resilient, longitudinally extending, metal plates 8 and a series of s aced, transversely curved, resilient metal p ates 9 which are engaged upon the innei` faces of the longitudinal plates 8. The ends of each transverse armor plate 9 are provided with elongated slots 10, and continuous channeled or U-shaped strips 11, of sheet metal, receive these slotted ends of the plates 9. Bolts indicated at 12 are disposed through the sidewalls of the channelshaped strips 11 and the slots 10 in the transverse armor plates'. Thus, `it will be understood that the ends -of these plates may move relative to the continuous connecting strips 11. The intersecting lates 8 and 9 are further provided with coinciding'openings, as shown at 13, for a purpose which will be presently stated.

A plurality of metal shells or casings 14 f f llames lxltend u e man* Aportion .i i museums,

- are arranged in spaced relation and extend i the outer tread layer .105 tread loyer of the casing and are provide having an outwardly projecting, annular iiange 18 on its end to extend over the outer face of the tread layer of the tire casmg around the edge of the opening therein.i

19 designates the anti-skidding lugs which are similar in form to the metal shell `17, each lug having a rectangular end portion 20 to fit within the portion l5 of the shell and also having a tapering body portion 21 which is provided 'with a reduced, threaded extension 22 terminating in a conical point or tip 23. A detachable, hollow cap 24 has an interiorly threaded portion at its larger end for engagement with the threads 22. Thus, when the point of the cap 24 becomes badly worn and blunted, it may be removed and a new cap readily applied to the end of the lug. The cap 24 also prevents axial shifting movement of the lug 19 in the shell 14. A reduced, threaded shank 25 also pro-- jects longitudinally from the square or rectangular end 20 of the lug and is adapted for engagement through the coinciding openings 13 of the armor plates 8 and 9. A thin, octagonal-shaped nut 26 is threaded upon the shank or extension 25 of the lug and tightened against the inner faces of the transverse armor plates 9. When the flexible metallic armor and the anti-skidding lugs have been applied to the outer tread layer of the tire casing in the manner just stated, said tread layer is suitabl secured upon the inner tread layer 7 f t e casing. The tire casing is now in con ition for use upon the vehicle wheel:

From the foregoing description, it is believed that construction, manner of use, and several advantages of the invention will be clearly and fully understood. By arranging the anti-skidding lugs within the metal shells, said lugs are held against turning movement and all ossibility of their disconnection from the metallle armor obvi- .ated` The caps 24 may also be very tightly 'threaded upon the lprojectingl points 23 of the lugs, for vvhic purpose the exterior faces of said caps at their lnternally threaded ends, areV of polygonal shape. Any desired number of these anti-skidding lugs may, of course, be employed in connection with the lexiblemetal armor which is embodied in the ltire casing, and the form or shape of the removable cap 24 for said lugs can also be varied `if desired. The device as a whole is relatively simple in its construction and may be manufactured at relatively small cost.

By means of the invention, it will be appreciated thatthe penetration of nails or other sharp objects through the tire casing and the wall of the .inner tube is eii'ectually prevented, while at the same time the elasticity of the tire structure is not impaired.

While we have herein shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts employed, it is to be understood that the device is susceptible of considerable modification therein and we, therefore, reserve the privilege 0f adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a tire casing hziv ing superposcd, iexible tread layers, of an armor consisting of intersecting, resilient metal plates disposed between the tread layers and extending longitudinally and transversely thereof,- and annular members arranged between the `tread layers to which the terminals of the transverse metal plates are slidnbly. connected.

2. Thecombination with a tire-casing having superposed. flexible tread layers, of an armor consisting of intersecting, resilient metal plates disposed between the tread layers and extending longitudinally and transversely thereof. spaced annular members arranged between tbe tread layers, and pin and slot connections between the respective annular members and the corresponding terminals of the transverse metal plates.

3. The combination with a tire casing having superposed, iexible tread layers, of an armor consisting of intersecting, resilient metal plates disposed between the tread layers and extending longitudinally and transversely thereof, continuous annular members also arranged between the tread layers, lugs connected to said armor plates at their points of intersection and fastening the same together, said lugs extending through the outer tread layer and beyond the peripheral face thereof, spaced annular members of U-shaped form arranged between the tread layers, the terminal portions of the transverse armor plates belng relatively movable between the opposed walls of the respective annular members.

4. The combination with a tire casing having superposed, flexible tread layers, of an armor consisting of intersecting, resilient metal plates disposed between the tread layers and extending longitudinally and transversely thereof, continuous annular members also arranged between the tread layers, lu connectedy to said armor plates at then' points of intersection and fastening the same together, saidy lugs extending through the outer tread layer and beyond the eripheral face thereof, annular members'ofl channelshaped form disposed between the tread layers, the correspondin terminals of the transverse armor plates ein slotted and disposed between the space walls of said annual members, and pins fixed in the annular members and disposed through the slots m the armor plates.

f ing inner and outer tread la ing rectangular portions,

5. The combina tion with a tire casing havers, of metal shells permanently fixed in t e outer tread layer, anti-skidding lugs in said shells and projecting beyond the periphera face of the tire Acasing and means for preventing axial movement of the lugs in said shells.

6. The combination with a tire casingrhaving inner and outer flexible tread layers, of spaced metal shells ermanently Vfixed in the outer tread layer o the casing and having rectangular portions, a lug disposed in each of said metal shells and having areotangula portion ittin Within the rectangular section of the s ell, whereby the lug is held against turning movement, each of said lugs having a reduced terminal portion projecting beyondy the peripheral face of the tire casing, and detachable ground engaging caps for the lu terminals.

T. The combination with a tire casing having inner and out'i' HexibleY tread layers, of spaced metal shells rmanently fixed in the outer tread layer otphe casing and hava lug disposed in each of said metal shells and having a rectangular portion fitting within the rectanand detac gular section of the shell, whereby the lug is heid against turning movement, each lug having a threaded shank on its inner end, a retaining nut engaged upon said shank able ground engaging caps for the lug terminals.

8. The combination iaith a tire casing having inner and outer fiexible tread layers, of spaced metal shells permanently iXed in the outer tread layer of the casin and having rectangular portions, a lug isposed in each of said metal shells and aving a rectangular portion littin Within the rectangular section of the she whereby the lug is held against turning movement, each of said lugs having a reduced threaded terminal projecting beyond the peri heral face oi the tire casing, and a removab e cap detachably engaged upon said threaded terminal.

1n testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. CHILTON. JHN H. HOBGOOD. "Vitnesses:

CHAMP Ross, Crais. B. Woon. 

